5 Sashana Small/Staff Reporter PRIME MINISTER Dr Andrew Holness announced a 19-member Cabinet, the composition of which he said is aimed at building on the momentum and experience of the previous administration, while creating room for renewal. SPEAKING TO the newly appointed government ministers during the September 17 swearing-in ceremony at King’s House in St Andrew, Holness also indicated that his third consecutive term in office “will also be about seamless succession and transition planning”. “As time passes, you will see the momentum of renewal accelerating, steadily reshaping not only the composition of the Government, but also the way the Government thinks, acts and delivers for the Jamaican people,” the prime minister, who is also minister of defence and minister of economic growth and infrastructure development, said. “We will never be archaic or unable to change, but we will also give stability, the confidence, the assurance, and the certainty of good results for the Jamaican people,” he added. CABINET FOR RENEWAL Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness shares a photo moment with the members of his Cabinet. ANTOINE LODGE/PHOTOGRAPHER 1. Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Minister of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development – Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness 2. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace - Dr Horace Chang 3. Minister of Finance and the Public Service – Fayval Williams 4. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade – Senator Kamina Johnson Smith 5. Minister of Tourism – Edmund Bartlett 6. Minister of Health and Wellness – Dr Christopher Tufton 7. Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport – Olivia Grange 8. Minister of Justice – Delroy Chuck 9. Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information – Senator Dana Morris Dixon 10. Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce – Senator Aubyn Hill 11. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development – Desmond McKenzie 12. Minister of Labour and Social Security – Pearnel Charles Jr 13. Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy – Daryl Vaz 14. Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining – Floyd Green 15. Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change – Matthew Samuda 16. Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation – Ambassador Audrey Marks 17. Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister responsible for Science, Technology and Special Projects – Andrew Wheatley 18. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development responsible for Land Titling and Settlements – Robert Montague 19. Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with responsibility for Works – Robert Morgan PRIME MINISTER Dr Andrew Holness has formally invited Opposition Leader Mark Golding to high-level, bipartisan talks on constitutional reform after Golding publicly rebuffed a proposal for a meeting with the justice minister. In a letter dated October 10, Holness clarified that the initial suggestion for Golding to meet with Justice Minister Delroy Chuck was merely a “courteous, and practical as a preliminary step” to brief the Opposition on the Government’s recent Cabinet and portfolio restructuring. Holness reassured the Opposition Leader that the minister-to-minister engagement was never intended to be “a substitute for us meeting directly as political and parliamentary leaders of our country”. Holness proposed the two leaders return to the Vale Royal Talks mechanism, offering it as a crucial “platform to move forward constructively”. “The Vale Royal Talks have proven useful in the past in providing a space for frank dialogue and principled compromise,” Holness said. “I am hopeful you will accept the proposal, and we stand ready to coordinate the logistics with your team”. The exchange of letters signals the intense political friction shadowing the nation’s push to remove the British monarchy as head of state become a republic. Golding’s letter, dated October 3, a reply to Holness’s September 30 invitation, had flatly rejected the proposal to meet with Minister Chuck. Golding insisted that the only way to initiate the“required partnership”he sought was through a direct meeting with the Prime Minister. He called for “authentic collaboration” consistent with former bipartisan reform efforts. Golding leveraged Holness’s own words from his swearing-in speech in September “Mark, let us partner together to complete the work we started in making Jamaica a republic” - to justify his demand for direct engagement with the political head of the Government. In his October 10 response, Holness echoed Golding’s belief in collaboration, acknowledging that the Opposition Leader’s acceptance that “the only route to reaping success in the reform effort is through authentic collaboration” is a shared perspective. The Prime Minister explained that following Cabinet changes, Minister Chuck had assumed responsibility for constitutional reform matters, merging the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs into the Ministry of Justice. Holness also noted that Golding was now the shadow spokesperson on constitutional affairs. Holness proposes Vale Royal Talks with Golding on constitutional reform On Being Awarded The Order Of Distinction, Commander Class (CD) Recognizing Your Exceptional Contributions And Service To Jamaica. We Salute You. THE WEEKLY GLEANER | OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 13, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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